Jaguar Land Rover finally announces PETROL Ingenium engines are in production

Jaguar Land Rover is finally starting to build petrol Ingenium engines at its new engine plant, delivering improved performance and economy.

It’s almost two years since Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium Engine Plant opened, but since then it’s actually only produced four-cylinder diesel engines. But not any more.

Before you get too excited, this isn’t the news that JLR has revealed its new 3.0 litre straight-six petrol engine, or indeed its 1.5 litre three-cylinder, but that the four-cylinder diesel’s petrol sibling has finally gone in to production.

The new 2.0 litre petrol employs some clever technology – like an electrohydraulic valvetrain, integrated exhaust manifold and twin scroll turbos with ball bearing technology – to deliver an engine which is claimed to be 25 per cent more powerful and 15 per cent more economical than the engines they will replace. Not to be sniffed at.

Outputs for the new four-cylinder petrol Ingenium engines are expected to be in the region of 200bhp, 250bhp and 300bhp, and as such could potentially find their way in to just about every car in the Jaguar Land Rover range in time.

TRANSCEND Transmission Research Project

JLR has also revealed details on a clever research programme developing a new kind of automatic transmission dubbed TRANSCEND.

The aim is to deliver an innovative mechanical design which offers an ultra wide ratio of 20:1, incorporating a low range gearbox with dual-clutch and hybrid technology, yet weighing 20kg less than current eight-speed autos, and be suitable for four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive.

The £30 million project – part funded by Innovate UK – aims to rebuild the UK’s transmission production.

Nick Rogers, JLR’s Group Engineering Director, said:

TRANSCEND demonstrates Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to original research that improves the driving experience and the environmental performance of our vehicles.

It will make manoeuvring and off-road use easier than ever before for drivers whilst also improving on-road vehicle dynamics and CO2 emissions.

The new petrol Ingenium engines will be available from the new year, but there is no indication of when the TRANSCEND transmission will be production viable.